1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to, among other things, utility devices, such as, for example, utility vehicles, having utility mechanisms, such as, for example, trenchers and/or the like with rotated drive mechanisms.
2. Discussion of the Background
There are a variety of known utility vehicles having utility mechanisms with rotated drive mechanisms. In many instances, utility vehicles are often used for construction and/or other utilitarian purposes, such as, e.g., for lifting, pushing, scraping, digging, plowing and/or various other purposes. In many instances, the vehicles include a) a main body having at least one seat for a vehicle operator (such as, for example, a seat located within a protective cab), b) wheels and/or other supports mounted on the body portion for supporting the same, and c) a utility mechanism mounted to the vehicle (such as, e.g., via a utility boom). In some illustrative cases, the utility mechanism(s) can include, e.g., one or more of the following: a) an auger; b) a backhoe; c) a dozer blade; e) a bucket; f) a fork (e.g., for pallets, manure or the like); g) a grinder; h) a rake; i) shears; j) a roller; k) spike (e.g., for bails of hay or the like); l) a jig boom; m) a broom; n) a scraper; o) a tree spade; p) a plow; q) a mower; r) a trencher; s) a four-in-one bucket; and/or various other utility mechanisms. In some instances, the vehicle is adapted such that various utility mechanisms can be replaced, interchanged, upgraded and/or the like. In this manner, in some instances, a basic vehicle can be adapted or configured to perform specific tasks (such as, e.g., by attaching a new utility mechanism to the vehicle).
Because these vehicles are often used for work related purposes, improvements that can reduce manufacturing costs, increase longevity and/or durability, increase performance and/or that can provide other advances can be advantageous. Nevertheless, existing devices have a variety of limitations.
A number of illustrative background devices include, for example: a) the BRADCO trencher (by U.S. INDUSTRIES); the BOBCAT trencher (LT304); the LAHMAN LITTLE DIPPER trencher (by LAHMAN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC.); and the CATERPILLAR trencher depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 6,249,993. These and other background trenchers have a variety of limitations. As merely some examples, these and other background devices often have one or more of the following disadvantages: require chain drives and/or sealed oil bath transmission cases; require a large width for a protruding motor, transmission and/or the like; do not effectively provide spoil augers on two sides of a trencher chain and/or the like; are expensive to manufacture; have reduced longevity and/or durability; have less than optimal performance; and/or have various other disadvantages.
There remains a need for, among other things, utility vehicles having utility mechanisms with improved rotated drive mechanisms.